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That night, after returning home, Laras tried to forget what had happened at the cafeteria.
She showered, ate dinner, and then lay down on her bed while scrolling through her phone.
But her thoughts kept returning to the woman she had seen.
The pink jacket.
The black pants.
The face she hadn't been able to see clearly.
She picked up her phone and opened their group chat.
A new message from Keenan appeared.
Keenan:
Guys, I'm serious about this hike. Tomorrow, we'll start putting together a list of supplies and preparing ourselves physically. Don't underestimate the rules there.
Rengga replied shortly afterward.
Rengga:
Roger that, Captain Nature Lover.
Riki:
As long as nobody suddenly tells us to go home because they hear a kuntilanak screaming.
Tisa:
Ugh, don't say that, Rik!
Laras read the conversation without replying.
Her fingers stopped moving when Keenan sent a photograph.
Keenan:
Here's the picture of Rina I told you about.
Laras immediately sat upright.
She opened the image.
An old photograph appeared on her screen.
In it, a young woman stood among the trees with a mountainous landscape in the background.
She was wearing a pink jacket and black pants.
Laras held her breath.
It was the exact same outfit worn by the woman she had seen outside the cafeteria that afternoon.
With trembling hands, she zoomed in on the photograph.
The woman's face was relatively clear.
But the longer Laras stared at it, the more uncomfortable she became.
Something about the picture felt wrong.
Something she hadn't noticed at first.
Laras zoomed in on Rina's face once more.
Then her entire body went rigid.
Behind Rina, among the dark trees, another figure was standing.
Faint.
Almost impossible to see.
The figure was wearing exactly the same clothes as Rina.
Laras stared at the screen without blinking.
She enlarged that part of the photograph, trying to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
But before she could understand what she was seeing, another message from Keenan appeared.
Keenan:
There's something I haven't told you yet.
Laras stared at the message.
A few seconds later, Keenan sent another one.
Keenan:
According to the person who gave me this photo, Rina wasn't the only person who disappeared in the Forbidden Forest.
Laras felt her entire body grow cold.
Another message arrived a few seconds later.
Keenan:
And the people who claimed to have seen her after her disappearance always said the same thing.
Laras swallowed nervously.
With trembling fingers, she typed a reply.
Laras:
What did they say?
Keenan's response appeared almost immediately.
Keenan:
They said Rina was looking for someone to take her place.
Laras fell silent.
Her phone felt ice-cold in her palm.
She looked at Rina's photograph again.
And this time, she noticed something that made her breath catch in her throat.
The shadowy figure behind Rina no longer looked like a stranger.
Its face resembled someone she knew very well.
Someone she had just seen outside the cafeteria window.
Someone wearing a pink jacket.
Suddenly, Laras's phone screen flickered.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
There was no contact name.
No profile picture.
Just a short sentence.
Unknown Number:
Don't go to that mountain, Laras.
Laras froze.
How could that number know her name?
Before she could think any further, a second message arrived.
Unknown Number:
If you still decide to go, never follow the woman in the pink jacket.
Laras felt as though her heart had stopped beating for a moment.
She stared at the screen, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Then, from the direction of her bedroom window, came a series of knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Laras slowly raised her head.
Her bedroom was on the second floor.
There was no balcony outside the window.
No tree stood tall enough to provide a foothold.
There should have been no way for anyone to stand out there.
Yet the knocking came again.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Laras held her breath.
Then a woman's voice came from the other side of the glass.
Soft.
Hoarse.
Almost like a whisper.
"Laras…"
Her entire body went rigid.
The voice came again.
This time, it was clearer.
"I know you're coming."
Laras slowly turned toward the window.
Behind the dark glass stood a woman with her head slightly bowed.
A pink jacket.
Black pants.
Long hair covering part of her face.
The woman slowly lifted her head.
Then she smiled.
"See you on Mount Srinjani, Laras."
To be continued…